[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1505517100472{padding-right: 25px !important;padding-left: 25px !important;}”]What We Believe
[accordions id=”ac”][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac0″ class=”active”]The Scriptures[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac0″ in=”in”] The Holy Bible (the collection of 66 books from Genesis to Revelation) is the very Word of God, verbally inspired (2 Tim. 3:16), not produced by the will of man, but men spake as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21). It is infallible and is the completed and final revelation of God’s will for man (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Titus 1:2; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; Rev. 22:18-19), and is the sufficient and final authority for all matters of faith, practice, and life (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac1″ class=””]God[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac1″ in=””] There is only one true and living God (Deut. 6:4, Is. 44:6, 46:9, 45:18), maker of the heavens and earth and everything in it (Gen. 1; John 1:3, Rev. 10:6; Col. 1:16; Isaiah 45:18), eternally existing (Ps. 90:2; John 8:58) in three persons (the Trinity), the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), all being perfectly equal in divinity (John 1:1; John 10:30; Acts 5:3-4), thus each equally deserving of all honor and glory (Eph. 1:3-14). Each person of the Trinity has distinct, yet harmonious offices/functions (Eph. 1:3-14), all for the purpose of His own pleasure and glory (Eph. 1:3-14; Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac2″ class=””]Christ[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac2″ in=””] Jesus Christ is God, the Son (Mark 1:1; John 1:1, 14, 18; 1 John 5:20), one with the Father (John 10:30). Being born of a virgin (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35), he took on human flesh (John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:14). Being truly divine, in the flesh, Christ is the perfect representative of God to man (Matt. 1:23; Heb. 1:3) and, being truly human, yet without sin, Christ is the perfect representative of man to God (Heb. 4:15; Rom. 5:12-21; Heb. 2:14). According to the will of the Father (John 17; Acts 2:36; Heb. 5:5-10), Christ offered himself as a substitutionary sacrifice, accomplishing redemption through his death on the cross (Rom. 3:25; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24, 3:18). He was buried (Matt. 27:59-60; 1 Cor. 15:4), and on the third day he rose, bodily, from the dead (Matt. 28:6; 1 Cor. 15:4), then ascended, bodily, into heaven (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9-11) and is seated at the right hand of the Father forever (Mark 16:19; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:24). As a result of His substitutionary atonement, all who believe in the person and work of Christ are declared righteous (Rom. 9:9-10; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac3″ class=””]The Holy Spirit[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac3″ in=””] The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity, coequal with God the Father and with God the Son in deity and nature (Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4). He is the agent in the new birth (John 3:5-8), and seals believers (Eph. 1:13), comforting, counseling and working sanctification through the indwelling of the believer unto the day of redemption (Rom. 8:26-27; John 14:16, 26, 15:26), and is the guarantee of their future glorification (Eph. 1:14).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac4″ class=””]Man[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac4″ in=””] God created man in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), for the purpose of bringing glory to God (Is. 43:7; 1 Cor. 10:31). Man was created free of sin, but willfully sinned by disobeying God (Genesis 3:6), and therefore is no longer sinless, and, as a consequence, all mankind are sinners (Rom. 3:10-18, 5:12-14, 19), not by constraint but of choice (Jam. 1:13-15; Eph. 2:3), therefore all of mankind are under just condemnation (Ezek. 18:19-20; Rom. 5:16) without defense or excuse (Rom. 1:18-23, 32).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac5″ class=””]Salvation[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac5″ in=””] Salvation is given by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8; Acts 15:11) through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:8-10) who, being appointed by the Father (John 17; Heb. 5:5-10), willingly took on our nature (John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; Phil. 2:7) and, having obeyed the law perfectly, deserving no penalty for sin (Heb. 2:17, 4:15, 5:8-9), took upon himself the penalty for the sins of man (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24, 3:18; Is. 53:5). Salvation is the free gift of God (Rom. 3:24, 6:23b; Eph. 4:7), received through faith (Eph. 2:8; John 3:16), unmerited by man (Eph. 2:9). At salvation, the believer’s sins are imputed to Christ and Christ’s righteousness imputed to the believer (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24; Is. 53:5). All, and only those, who place their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be saved, and are granted eternal life (John 3:16; Acts 13:39).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac6″ class=””]The Church[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac6″ in=””] The church is the congregation of baptized believers, being united into the body of Christ (Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 2:11-22), assembling together regularly in the local assembly (Acts 2:42,46; Heb. 10:25) to observe the ordinances (Acts 2:46; Matt. 28:19-20) and devoting themselves to the teaching of Scripture and fellowship (Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:11; Matt. 28:20), and the practicing of spiritual gifts with one another (Eph. 4:11), to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body (Eph. 4:12), all under the headship of Christ (Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac7″ class=””]Baptism[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac7″ in=””] Baptism is the testimony of the believer’s faith (Acts 2:41) and unity in Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-11; Col. 2:12), demonstrated by immersion in water (Acts 8:36-39; Matt. 3:6, 16; John 3:23), in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac8″ class=””]The Lord’s Supper[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac8″ in=””] The Lord’s Supper is purely symbolic, for the remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s death, until He comes (1 Cor. 11:24-26); the bread representing his body which was broken (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24) and the wine representing his blood which was shed (Matt. 26:27-28; Mark 14:23-24; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25). It should be observed by all baptized believers (Matt. 28:20).
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac9″ class=””]The Sign Gifts[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac9″ in=””] We believe that all sign gifts (tongues, healing, prophecy, etc.) were purposed for authenticating the message of the apostles, and/or for proclamation of the Gospel, in order to establish the church. This purpose was fulfilled in the apostolic age and recorded in Scripture. Because the church was successfully established by the authentic message, there is no longer need for signs and wonders to further authenticate the already proven authentic message. To be clear, we believe that all sign gifts have ceased.
(Hebrews 2:2-4; Acts 8:13, 10:45-46)
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac10″ class=””]Perseverance of the Saints and Eternal Security[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac10″ in=””] We believe that those who genuinely profess Christ will endure until death, distinctly from those whose confession is not genuine. God secures the eternal destiny, the salvation, of those who believe, through the seal of the Holy Spirit as a down payment.
(Colossians 1:13-14, 21-23; 1 John 2:19; Romans 8:28-30; John 6:39, 10:27-29; Ephesians 1:13-14)
[/accbody][/accgroup][accgroup][acchead id=”ac” tab_id=”ac11″ class=””]The Establishment of Indigenous Churches[/acchead][accbody tab_id=”ac11″ in=””] We believe that churches ought to be self-propagating, meaning that those within the local body of believers have the burden, duty and mandate to teach the Word to its congregants and to those outside the body; that it ought to be self-supporting, meaning that the financial responsibility is on the local church body, practicing sacrificial giving, rather than getting its support from funds, donated or otherwise, outside of the church; and that it ought to be self-governing, meaning that the local church body should be responsible for making all decisions within the body. All of this ought to be done unified under the headship of Christ.
(2 Timothy 2:2; Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Thessalonians 3:8-10; Acts 6:1-6; Acts 15:22; 1 Corinthians 16:3) [/accbody][/accgroup][/accordions][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]